Carpet laying tool



May 30, 1967 G. J. CAVANAUGH CARPET LAYING TOOL Filed Aug. e, 1964 Rmwn 3. w W G wc .o 7 mr.. w F m f 7 H av, 6 n ma United States Patent 3,322,209 CARPET LAYING TOOL George J. Cavanaugh, 1809 Washburn St., Scranton, Pa. 18504 Filed Aug. 6, 1964, Ser. No. 387,908 2 Claims. (Cl. 173-132) This invention relates to a structurally and functionally improved carpet laying tool by means of which the carpet may be stretched to properly conform to the surfaces to which it is to be applied; the stretching being achieved in an extremely eflicient manner and the carpet being maintained in stretched condition until the operator properly secures it against movement.

It is the primary object of the invention to furnish a tool of this type which will be of simple and economical design and which may be efciently used by an operator to properly stretch, lay and secure a carpet in a proper manner in a very short time and with a minimum of effort.

A further object is that of providing a tool which will not be cumbersome to handle and the operation of which will require far less work or effort on the part of the user than conventional mechanisms as heretofore produced.

With these and other objects in mind, reference is had to the attached sheet of drawings illustrating one practical embodiment of the invention and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective View of the tool;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of that tool showing its use when performing one operational phase;

FIG. 3 is a View sim-ilar to FIG. 2 illustrative `of the subsequent operation; and

FIG. 4 is a se-ctional side view taken along the line 4-4 in the direction of the arrows as indicated in FIG. l.

In these views, the number S indicates the carpet-contacting blade formed at the outer end of the operating head. That head is continued rearwardly in the form of a shank 6 terminating in a socket portion. A shaft 7 has at one end, as at 8, extending into the socket and is permanently secured thereto in any suitable manner such as a pin 9. The surface of shank 6 being preferably serrated, it follows that the operator will have no difficulty incident to the tool slipping from his grasp as he operates the tool.

Slidably mounted upon shaft 7 is a weighty mass of material 10 which may be likened to a hammer. The surface of the socket edge is preferably rounded as indicated at 11; the adjacent surface of the mass or hammer 10 being similarly contoured as at 12. These faces act as a stop when the hammer is moved in the direction of the head and being contoured in this manner, there is no danger of their being deformed due to the impact between mass 10 and the parts contacted thereby which form ele ments of the operating head.

A further movement-limiting structure is provided adjacent the outer end of shift 7. To this end it is preferred to reduce the diameter of the shaft at this point in the manner indicated at 13. Accordingly, the shoulder 14 is formed at the juncture of the surfaces. A washer 15 rests upon this shoulder and encircles shaft portion 13. The inner end of a coil spring 16 bears against the washer. The outer end of the spring is anchored by means of a collet 17 or similar unit atiixed to the outer end of shaft portion 13.

Obviously, as the mass of material 10` is moved towards blade 5 it will function as a hammer. This will occur as the hammer is moved axially by the operator with suicient speed to cause it to strike against the socket portion of shank 6. Under these circumstances, blade 5 bearing against the material will not shift with respect to the surface with which it is engaging. Also, it will shift the material to conform to the contours or surfaces to which it is to be permanently anchored. To this end, it is preilierred that the blade be angularly offset as shown in FIGS.

and 4.

Therefore, considering FIG. 2, wherein the riser portion of a stair has been indicated at 18 and a tread portion of a stair indicated at 19, it is apparent that an operator by reciprocating the mass or hammer l0 will effect a projection of the carpet material 20 into the juncture of a riser and tread. Such positioning should preferably involve a -direct contact with the material of the stair to which end any cushioning layers such as 21 should preferably have a gap between them in this Zone.

By bringing the tool to a more vertical position as indicated in FIG. 3, the intimacy of contact between the carpet and the anchoring zone is assured. Obviously, any suitable means may be employed under these circumstances to maintain the carpet in stretch condition against movement.

As heretofore brought out, an operator, by gripping the serrated zone 6 of the tool will find that his hand does not tend to slip from this position. The other hand may be used to manipulate the hammer 10 by reciprocating it between the stops furnished by the ange structure and the washer 1S. So used and after the carpet has been artfully laid out, it is apparent it will be stretched to a .proper degree and conform completely to the surfaces to which it is to be finally applied.

Thereupon, by suitable securing means, the conguration established can be made permanent. Under certain circumstances, the shoulder or chest of the operator may bear against the head portion of the collet 17 at the outer end of the tool. In this manner, constant pressure can be maintained so that the carpet will not re-assume its unstretched condition. If desired, a suitable bracing surface (not shown) provided by a member associated with the collet 17 could be resorted to so that an operator Would not suffer discomfort in maintaining the pressure to retain the carpet in stretch condition prior to securing it in place.

From the foregoing, it will be obvious that among others the several objects of the invitation as specifically aforementioned are a-chieved. It is apparent that numerous changes in construction and rearrangement lof the parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A carpet stretching and laying tool including in combination an operating head having a carpet contacting blade formed at the outer end thereof for engagement with a piece of carpet to be laid, said operating head being formed integrally with a shank portion at one end and said operating head disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said shank portion, said shank portion having at its other end a socket portion.` formed therein, a shaft having a slidable hammer supported thereon, said shaft being mounted at one end in said socket portion so as to form a shoulder extending outwardly from said shaft adjacent the end of said shank portion, said shoulder forming a movement limiting means for said hammer, a spring mounted at the other end of said shaft and remote from said shank portion to obstruct the outward shifting of said hammer along the shaft thereby limiting the movement of said hammer on said shaft.

'3 4 2. A carpet stretching and laying tool as defined in 2,475,041 7/ 1949 Mattson 173-91 claim 1 wherein said hammer is formed having an annu- 2,587,944 3/ 1952 Williams 173 126 lar recess therein at an end thereof adjacent said shoul- 3,050,095 8/ 1962 Prather 173. 91 der portion on said shank whereby when said hammer is 3,242,997 3 /1966 Tokola 173 132 shifted toward said shoulder portion said shoulder portion 5 nests within said recess. FOREIGN PATENTS Referenc-es Cited 845,163 8/1960 Great Brltain.

UNITED STATES PATENTS FRED C. MATTERN, JR., Primary Examiner. 2,098,146 11/1937 Hum 173 126 10 L. P. KEssLER,AssismnfExaminer. 

1. A CARPET STRETCHING AND LAYING TOOL INCLUDING IN COMBINATION AN OPERATING HEAD HAVING A CARPET CONTACTING BLADE FORMED AT THE OUTER END THEREOF FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH A PIECE OF CARPET TO BE LAID, SAID OPERATING HEAD BEING FORMED INTEGRALLY WITH A SHANK PORTION OF ONE END AND SAID OPERATING HEAD DISPOSED AT AN ANGLE TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID SHANK PORTION, SAID SHANK PORTION HAVING AT ITS OTHER END A SOCKET PORTION FORMED THEREIN, A SHAFT HAVING A SLIDABLE HAMMER SUPPORTED THEREON, SAID SHAFT BEING MOUNTED AT ONE END IN SAID SOCKET PORTION SO AS TO FORM A SHOULDER EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID SHAFT ADJACENT THE END OF SAID SHANK PORTION, SAID SHOULDER FORMING A MOVEMENT LIMITING MEANS FOR SAID HAMMER, A SPRING MOUNTED AT THE OTHER END OF SAID SHAFT AND REMOTE FROM SAID SHANK PORTION TO OBSTRUCT THE OUTWARD SHIFTING OF SAID HAMMER ALONG THE SHAFT THEREBY LIMITING THE MOVEMENT OF SAID HAMMER ON SAID SHAFT. 